Labor is one of the most significant expenses in commercial baking. Traditional batch mixing requires constant supervision and manual handling, while continuous mixing systems from Exact Mixing automate these steps, helping bakeries reduce labor hours, streamline production, and improve product quality and consistency.
- Fewer Operators Needed
Batch mixing depends on multiple operators to weigh ingredients, load mixers, monitor each batch, unload dough, and clean between runs. Continuous mixing replaces these repetitive, hands-on tasks with automated ingredient feeding and nonstop dough production.
With Exact Mixing systems, one operator can often manage multiple mixing lines rather than a single batch unit. Ingredients are continuously metered and blended, eliminating manual loading and batch-by-batch supervision. The result is up to 50–70% reduction in direct labor hours and less time spent on routine operations.
- Faster Cleaning and Changeovers
Exact Mixing’s continuous mixers feature sanitary, stainless steel designs with fewer moving parts and enclosed mixing chambers. Because dough never sits in open troughs or batch bowls, cleaning is faster, simpler, and requires fewer people.
Shorter washdowns translate to more uptime and longer production runs between cleanings. In many facilities, a single operator can complete sanitation for a continuous line in the time it would take a team to clean several batch mixers.
- Automated Ingredient Feeding
Exact Mixing systems use gravimetric and loss-in-weight feeders that automatically weigh and deliver ingredients in real time. This eliminates manual measuring and mixing errors while ensuring consistent dough quality.
Automation not only saves time but also reduces the need for highly skilled mixing technicians. Operators can oversee the process through an intuitive control interface, lowering training costs and simplifying daily production management.
- Less Rework and Waste
Continuous mixing produces dough with uniform temperature, hydration, and texture, virtually eliminating the off-spec batches common to manual processes. This consistency reduces scrap, rework, and the labor required for corrective actions.
Because the process is fully controlled and repeatable, bakeries save both time and wages that would otherwise be spent troubleshooting inconsistencies.
- Higher Productivity and Line Uptime
Unlike batch systems, which must stop for loading and unloading, continuous mixers operate in a steady state for hours or even days. Less downtime means more product per employee hour and greater overall efficiency. This streamlined workflow allows bakeries to maintain high throughput with smaller production teams, lowering total labor costs per pound of dough produced.
Explore Exact Mixer Models
Exact Mixing offers a full range of continuous mixers to meet the unique needs of every bakery process:
- EX Mixer: Crackers, pretzels, and pet treats
- HDX Mixer: Breads, buns, rolls, and high-absorption doughs
- MX Mixer: Cookies, snacks, icings, and batters
- FX Mixer: Fabricated chips, extruded snacks, and low-moisture blends
- LDX Mixer: Filled cookies, sandwich creams, and similar two-stage doughs
Each system is engineered for efficiency, durability, and seamless integration into automated bakery lines.
With hundreds of installations worldwide, Exact Mixing has helped bakeries of all sizes transition to continuous production with measurable savings and greater process reliability. Backed by Reading Bakery Systems’ engineering expertise, customers benefit from proven process control, comprehensive technical support, readily available parts, and training that ensure lasting performance and maximum uptime.
Ready to reduce labor costs and improve production efficiency? Contact Exact Mixing today to find the right mixer for your process or schedule a pilot test at our Innovation Center.
